Opposition tipped to win Australian election

2of11Australia's opposition leader Tony Abbott, second right, and his family from right, Bridget, Frances, wife Margaret and Louise cast their ballots at Freshwater Surf Club in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. Australians headed to the polls on Saturday in an election that pits a ruling party marred by infighting and a much-maligned carbon tax against a conservative opposition led by a man who has never been particularly popular and has long been polarizing. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith)Photo: Rob Griffith, STF

3of11Voters register to receive their ballots at a polling booth at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. Australians headed to the polls on Saturday in an election that pits a ruling party marred by infighting and a much-maligned carbon tax against a conservative opposition led by a man who has never been particularly popular and has long been polarizing. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)Photo: Rick Rycroft, STF

4of11Agnes Lee, 52, an IT consultant, reads a paper while having a coffee in Sydney, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013. The ruling Labor PartyÂs probable collapse in AustraliaÂs next election is largely the consequence of its qualified success in the last one three years ago. To form the coalition she needed to stay in power, then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard reneged on a promise and agreed to place a carbon tax on major polluters. "The Labor government is all about themselves - the individual - rather than the whole party,Â said Lee who plans to vote for the conservative coalition on Saturday. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)Photo: Rick Rycroft, STF

5of11Voters fill in their ballots at a polling booth at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. Australians headed to the polls on Saturday in an election that pits a ruling party marred by infighting and a much-maligned carbon tax against a conservative opposition led by a man who has never been particularly popular and has long been polarizing. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)Photo: Rick Rycroft, STF

6of11Ainslie Maher keeps an eye on her dog Sanchez as she fills in her ballot at a polling booth at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. Australians headed to the polls on Saturday in an election that pits a ruling party marred by infighting and a much-maligned carbon tax against a conservative opposition led by a man who has never been particularly popular and has long been polarizing. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)Photo: Rick Rycroft, STF

8of11A voter drops a ballot at a polling booth at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. Australians headed to the polls on Saturday in an election that pits a ruling party marred by infighting and a much-maligned carbon tax against a conservative opposition led by a man who has never been particularly popular and has long been polarizing. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)Photo: Rick Rycroft, STF

9of11Geoff Hamment, 49, poses for a photo in Sydney, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013. Australia will hold a national election Saturday, Sept. 7. The ruling Labor Partyâs probable collapse in Australiaâs next election is largely the consequence of its qualified success in the last one three years ago. To form the coalition she needed to stay in power, then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard reneged on a promise and agreed to place a carbon tax on major polluters. The carbon tax is one reason Hamment, who normally votes for Labor, is supporting the conservatives this time around. Hamment said heâs seen his household electricity bills go âthrough the roofâ since the tax was introduced.(AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)Photo: Rick Rycroft, STF

10of11A couple fill in their ballots at a polling booth at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. Australians headed to the polls on Saturday in an election that pits a ruling party marred by infighting and a much-maligned carbon tax against a conservative opposition led by a man who has never been particularly popular and has long been polarizing. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)Photo: Rick Rycroft, STF

11of11A sign instructs voters when they fill in their ballots at a polling booth at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. Australians headed to the polls on Saturday in an election that pits a ruling party marred by infighting and a much-maligned carbon tax against a conservative opposition led by a man who has never been particularly popular and has long been polarizing. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)Photo: Rick Rycroft, STF

CANBERRA, Australia - Australians headed to the polls Saturday in an election that is expected to see the Labor Party ousted from government after six years in power.

Despite the lack of overwhelming enthusiasm for opposition leader Tony Abbott, he seems on track to guide his Liberal Party-led coalition to a victory over a ruling party marred by infighting and a much-maligned carbon tax, with opinion polls giving the coalition a commanding lead.

A poll by Sydney-based market researcher Newspoll published in The Australian newspaper on Saturday showed the coalition was leading Labor 54 percent to 46 percent.

It was based on a random national telephone survey of 2,511 voters during three days this week and had a 2 percentage point margin of error. Newspoll has correctly picked the result of all 56 Australian federal and state elections since 1985.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was once widely beloved by the public, becoming the nation's most popular leader in three decades when he took on the top job in 2007.

Now, his party is facing the prospect of an end to its six years in power amid voter frustration over years of party instability and bickering and widespread hatred of a carbon tax on major polluters.

The carbon tax has long been a thorn in the side of the Labor Party. The previous prime minister, Julia Gillard, broke an election promise and agreed to impose the tax in a bid to form a coalition Labor needed to stay in power.

Labor required the support of the minor Greens party - which insisted on the tax - in order to have enough seats in Parliament to control government.

The deal helped lead to her downfall, and in June, Gillard lost her job to Rudd in a vote of party lawmakers. Gillard herself came to power by unseating Rudd in a similar party coup three years earlier.

The Gillard vs. Rudd drama and the squabbling between their camps left many voters disillusioned. To some former Labor supporters, Abbott - once dubbed "unelectable" by a former boss - was seen as the lesser of two evils.

Abbott has vowed to scrap the carbon tax and instead introduce taxpayer-funded incentives for polluters to operate cleaner.

Polling booths opened at 8 a.m. Saturday in eastern Australia and were set to close 10 hours later, with western states voting another two hours beyond that because of time zones.

Abbott and Rudd have clashed over the 30 percent mining tax on the profits of iron ore and coal mining companies.

Abbott has promised to repeal the tax, which he blames in part for a downturn in the mining boom that kept Australia out of recession during the global economic crisis.